Drink Craft...Drink Local...Drink American

As I venture further into the craft beer industry it truly surprises me how misinformed many people are, not by their own fault, but by falsely advertised products. Just because a product claims to use “Colorado water” does not equate that the revenue being generated goes 100% back into the local Colorado economy or the American economy. So to say the least, as a craft beer lover, it truly irks me when I have a list of 20 beers the are 100% American made and people ask me why we don’t carry any American made beer. Now for the truth…

The top three “American Breweries” (I’m not mentioning any names, you will have to do the math) are owned by or have joint ventures with companies in Belgium, London and China respectively. Now for the hard truth, 90% of the beers you will see in my taproom and many others throughout the country, are brewed by 100% American owned companies, who have a 100% positive effect on the American economy. Now it is hard to say that most Taprooms and Craft beer bars won’t have a few breweries who have sold stakes to larger companies on draught or on their bottle list, this is just a cold reality due to the many acquisitions that have taken place over the past few years. It’s still business and I do not blame these companies for selling for large sums of money, but I also give props to players like Sam Calagione and Dogfish Head who still keep it private and American and refused to sell out to larger corporations. I also give credit to people like Dick Yuengling (Yuengling Brewing) and Jim Koch (Boston Beer Company), for keeping very large scale operations strictly American. What we need to understand is, just because a beer is advertised as American does not mean it supports America. As of right now there are 3,000+ breweries out there chasing the American dream and putting money back into a struggling economy, a few of which I offer at my taproom. We need to look past the notion that if a beer is dark or malty or hoppy that it is not an American beer.

As a Pennsylvania boy, I need to give credit to many of the local people who continue to support our local and national economy like Troegs, Victory and Yards who are some of the larger players in the Pennsylvania beer scene. I also need to send love to Philadelphia who has made SEPA a craft beer mecca. Props to Philly and SEPA brewers like Neshaminy Creek, Evil Genius, Tired Hands, Funk, Free Will, Triumph and the many more I haven’t mentioned. Being a Northeast PA boy, I have to give credit to my very local guys, Conyngham Brewing, Berwick Brewing, Breaker Brewing, Marley’s Brewpub, Turkey Hill Brewing, Old Forge Brewing, Barley Creek Brewing and the many others who have introduced great, American produced beer to an unfamiliar market. Much love to our New England Brethren like the Alchemist, Hill Farmstead, Lawson’s Finest Liquid, Maine Brewing Company, Trillium and the countless others producing beers that are ultra local but people travel hundred of miles to enjoy. Also a shout out to the west coast OG’s like Sierra Nevada, Russian River, Rogue, Anchor, Deschutes and the like for making the industry what it is today. And last but not least, thumbs up to the local taprooms who go outside the box and provide beers from these great, American Breweries and introduce new pallets to real American beer.

So next time someone asks for a real American beer, introduce them to a West or East Coast IPA, an American Wild Ale, an American Wheat Ale, an American Imperial Stout or an American version of the many European styles that our ancestors have enjoyed in the past. Also inform them that through consumption of these products we are 100% supporting our local a national economies, and if they drink craft, they drink local and they definitely are drinking American…